Students in Mrs.Floyd’s Georgia Studies classes recently participated in a Civil War escape room activity, facilitated by museum staff from the Thomasville History Center. Amelia Gallo and Tyler Kemarley visited the 8th grade MERIT program social studies class, bringing activities using primary sources that allowed students the opportunity to review and reinforce what they had been learning in their unit of study on the Civil War.

Students competed in teams to solve a digital escape room. Each group was assigned as a squadron of Union soldiers fighting for the United States during the Civil War. Each squadron was asked to help Union intelligence officers decode Confederate messages using primary sources, find hidden messages in images using a black light, and ultimately escape imprisonment at Andersonville after their capture.

Students successfully “escaped” and enjoyed the unusual learning experience. Mrs. Floyd stated, “We are blessed in this community to have two wonderful museums, the Thomasville History Center and the Jack Hadley Black History Museum. They offer our students unique opportunities to experience the amazing history of their community. Amelia and Tyler did an outstanding job with the escape room; the kids loved it! I look forward to working with these ladies and both museums in the future to continue to provide unique learning experiences for my students.”